#RockItForOmar To Raise Money For Bolingbrook Boy With Cancer

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Earlier this year, amid a pandemic that was already difficult to deal with on its own, the life of one Bolingbrook family was turned upside down when their son, 13-year-old Omar Manchester, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

To help raise money for his treatment, a fundraising event is set for July 29 at Crest Hill Lanes & Kegler's Pub, 905 Theodore St.

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., people can #RockItForOmar with bowling, music and food. There will also be raffles and silent auction baskets at the event, while The Franchise performs live music. The $20 event tickets — which include unlimited pizza, soda and bowling — go out in support of Omar, a student at Brooks Middle School.

In January, Omar started limping with pain in his right ankle. After his pediatrician referred his family to a few orthopedic surgeons, Omar's biopsy was reviewed by specialist teams at three different hospitals, including the Mayo Clinic, according to a GoFundMe campaign. The results were determined to be osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that tends to impact teenagers and young adults.

"He's really good about letting the doctors do their thing and staying positive," Omar's father, Joshua, said. "He's a real inspiration to us."

The middle schooler's chemotherapy began in April and didn't work, Joshua said, so the surgery he had scheduled was also canceled. Omar started treatment a new for the bone cancer Wednesday using radiation and a new immunotherapy that has previously only been used on adults.

In the United States this year, it's estimated 1,000 people will be diagnosed with osteosarcoma, with about half the cases occurring in children, according to Cancer.Net.

"We pray that this treatment shrinks the tumors," the GoFundMe page says. "It is very expensive and we’re working with insurance to try to approve the expense. May God with whom all things are possible provide us strength, comfort, and healing."

Joshua described Omar as a "real bright and inquisitive kid," always open to trying new things.

"I always thought he was going to change the world," Joshua said. "I still do. He's a couple of years ahead in science and math and a year ahead in English studies. He's always been a real happy, inquisitive boy, and we always worked real hard to make him an outstanding kid."

Joshua said Omar also has a good sense of the world around him and knows when things get more complicated.

"He's got a really strong moral compass," his father said.

At school, Omar plays trombone for the band and participates in the National Honors Junior Society. An athletic Boy Scout, he took part in recreational T-ball and soccer programs, ran cross-country track in 2019 and spends summers swimming and attending STEM camps.

"I usually take him cycling when I get a chance," Joshua said. "He's very competitive about board games and on teams, he's a good sport about everything."

Omar also performed as a pirate in a theater program and sang at the church his family attends, the GoFundMe says.

"Omar loves video games, watching YouTube, hamburgers, and debating current events with his family," the organizer wrote.

Since the campaign was started last week, almost $17,000 was raised as part of the $50,000 goal. Omar's 10-year-old brother's class at school also recently held a read-a-thon, which raised enough money to pay for some medical bills, Joshua said.

"Every time something like this happens, it gives Omar the hope he needs to go to the next treatment," Joshua said.

Tickets for the fundraising event July 29 can be purchased through this link.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.